Cellular Immunology

News & Media Highlights

20 July 2026 | Our Research Featured on Saarländischer Rundfunk (SR3)
Our research on cytotoxic T-cell function and sex-specific immune responses was featured by Saarländischer Rundfunk (SR3) in a report on gender-specific medicine.
The report highlights our discoveries concerning the functional versatility of cytotoxic T cells and our ongoing investigations into sex-linked differences in antitumor immunity.

•    Read the SR3 article (German): https://www.sr.de/sr/sr3/themen/sr_3-land/geschlechtsspezifische_medizin_100.html

12 June 2026 | EKFS Research Grant Awarded to Dr. Hsin-Fang Chang
Dr. Hsin-Fang Chang has been awarded a three-year research grant of €330,108 from the Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung (EKFS) for the project “Uncovering Sex-Linked Mechanisms of Cytotoxic T Cell Granule Heterogeneity in Tumor Immunity.”

The project aims to uncover how biological sex influences the organization and function of cytotoxic effector cargo, potentially contributing to a better understanding of sex-specific antitumor immunity and more personalized cancer immunotherapies.

•    Read the Saarland University press release (English): https://www.uni-saarland.de/en/news/prestigious-ekfs-funding-to-decode-the-immune-systems-swiss-army-knife-in-men-and-women-47147.html
•    Read the UKS press release (German): https://www.uks.eu/ueber-das-uks/newsroom/medienmitteilungen/pm-detail/foerderung-der-else-kroener-fresenius-stiftung-fuer-dr-hsin-fang-chang

23 March 2026 | New ERC Synergy ATTACK Publication on Cytotoxic T-Cell Secretion
A collaborative study within the ERC Synergy Grant ATTACK, led by Dr. Hsin-Fang Chang and Dr. Elmar Krause, identifies a previously unrecognized pool of “lytic IFN-γ” stored in granzyme B-containing cytotoxic granules and co-released at the immunological synapse.

The findings reveal how cytotoxic T cells coordinate cytotoxic effector release with cytokine signalling to enhance target-cell killing.

•    Read the ATTACK consortium announcement: https://supramolecular-attack-particles.eu/new-joint-attack-publication/
•    Read the scientific publication in Cellular & Molecular Immunology: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41423-026-01391-1